Gangster Squad
by libellula
Summary: If she knew that walking home at night would cause her to be held at knifepoint, saved by a red-eyed gang member, and finding refuge in the basement of the rundown bar with the oddly-named crime organization Fairy Tail, Levy would've called for a cab. Gang!AU Gajevy with hints of other pairings.
1. 00 - Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

Summary: If she knew that walking home at night would cause her to be held at knifepoint, saved by a red-eyed gang member, and finding refuge in the basement of the rundown bar with the crime organization Fairy Tail, Levy would've called for a cab. Gang!AU Gajeevy with hints of other pairings.

A/N: Sorry to the people who have me on author alert… I literally just said I wouldn't start another story and I did it anyway, lol. But I couldn't get it out of my head! I promise I'll work on revising and reposting For Good (which I might retitle, too) soon.

* * *

 **Gangster Squad**

00

Prologue

The library was almost completely silent.

A girl with wavy blue hair stood on a ladder in one of the aisles, retrieving books from a cart and reshelving them in their proper place. With a huff, she slid the last one into place and stretched out her back before descending down the steps. A quick check of the clock above the main desk told her that it was already almost 10pm.

Levy McGarden had worked in the Magnolia Public Library every summer since she started high school. After she graduated, the owners offered her a job there until she was bound for college in the fall. Being one of their oldest and most trustworthy employees, she was often tasked with the closing shift. She never complained—she loved it, actually—because it meant alone time with just her and the books.

She loved to read. Everything from romance to science fiction to fantasies and horror. She especially enjoyed old history books written in ancient Fioran of a time long ago where there were myths of dragons ruling the land. The stories took her on an adventure—wrapped her up in a little world completely different from her own and whisked her away from reality.

The library usually closed around 8pm, but a field trip from the local elementary school early that afternoon had left the entire facility in complete disarray. Books were tossed carelessly all over the carpet and tables… yes, field trip days were always tough ones.

Normally, Jet or Droy, a couple of her childhood friends, would offer to accompany her home from the library since they worked at the ramen shop a few blocks away, but it was a Friday night. Friday nights were always busy nights for them—almost every couple in Magnolia seemed to deem it was date night and rushed out to crowd every restaurant.

She quickly skimmed the nonfiction section and grabbed a book that sounded interesting-a story titled _Dear Kaby_ by Zekua Melon. She went over to the counter and checked it out under her account before shoving it into her backpack with the rest of her stuff.

After making sure everything was neat and locked, she exited out of the back door into the streets.

Her apartment was about a fifteen-minute walk away. She had been living alone for the past couple of years. Her parents were still alive and well, but their job took them to another country and Levy was unwilling to leave Magnolia. The last time she had seen them in person was when she flew to visit them last winter, but her mother never failed to call her every Sunday morning for a chat.

Summers in Magnolia meant warm nights, which she was extremely thankful for as she was only wearing a flowy orange sundress. She probably stuck out like a sore thumb with her bright hair and equally bright dress. Since the library was located in the commercial district of town, the streets were nearly empty now that all the businessmen and women had left to be with their families for the weekend. There seemed to be fewer cars out than usual, too. And that lamppost that had been flickering for the past two weeks appeared to have finally burnt out...

She felt a strange sense of foreboding all of a sudden, but tried to shake it off. Magnolia was not really a dangerous place, but she supposed that in a large and busy city there were bound to be crimes happening. She heard rumors all throughout high school of the gangs that ran the streets, but never learned more than a few names in passing that she could not recall.

Her grip on the straps of her backpack tightened and she pulled it closer to her back like a shield. She had probably just read too many crime stories recently and was being paranoid. Still, she couldn't push away the feeling that something bad was happening as she stopped at the edge of a building.

There was an alleyway to the right just beyond this point. It would take her five steps to pass the opening. If she hurried, she could shortcut through the mall before it closed in four minutes.

Looking cautiously into the alley, she barely took one step out before a loud _bang_ sound caused her to drop to the ground in a crouch, frightened. She heard footsteps and yelling in the distance and panic swept through her as they got closer and closer.

Suddenly, one large, calloused hand grabbed at her wrist while the other covered her mouth and roughly pulled her into the alleyway. She felt the corner of the book dig into her shoulder blades as she was slammed roughly against the brick wall of the building. Her eyes began to water from the impact and her heart was beating uncontrollably as she stared into dark, menacing eyes. The hand fell off her mouth and pinned her other wrist up.

"What did ya see, little girl?" His voice sounded like nails and his breath smelled of smoke and Levy wanted to throw up. She felt something cold and steely against her arm. Her head shook back and forth furiously as the tears she was trying to hold back streamed down her face.

"N-no-nothing!" She cried. His grip was so strong she could feel bruises forming. She tried to lift her legs to kick him but he had pinned her legs with his knees. "I s-swear! I didn't see a-anything! Please l-let me go."

His expression was calculated. "Now little miss, ya can probably guess why I can't believe ya, right? Can't have ya running your mouth off to the cops." The steel knife pressed against her with more pressure and she flinched as her skin broke at the contact. It stung like crazy. She could feel her blood, hot and fluid, running down her arm in rivulets. He leaned closer and she turned her head to the side, closing her eyes.

She was so, so scared. He wasn't going to let her off. The chances of someone walking by and seeing them were very slim, and she had already told her friends not to worry about checking in with her tonight. Her whole body was shivering and her mind was running.

Should she headbutt him? What if she missed and he got even more violent with her? The wound felt fairly deep, what if she lost a lot of blood? Would no one know she disappeared until Sunday when her mom called and was left with no response? Would the library staff notice her absence on Monday and just assume she was sick and forgot to call in? Who would feed Pantherlily if she never made it back to the apartment?

She was rattled out of her thoughts when the heavy weight on her was abruptly pulled off. She felt herself stumble forward slightly as the man's grip had yet to loosen completely.

Looking up, her gaze met striking, garnet eyes and she saw a glint of what looked like metal piercings adorning his face. The moment barely lasted a second, as he turned and swung his fist hard and punched the other man clean in the face.

She watched on as she struggled to control her heavy breathing. The man who saved her had long, wild black hair. He was tall—very tall—with broad shoulders and a demeanor that commanded respect. The two men were fighting it out on the floor, exchanging punches and kicks. There were words exchanged, but she couldn't understand a thing. She slowly started to back away but she could not tear her eyes off of her savior.

Their eyes met again and her breath caught in her throat. He studied the cut on her arm and with his free hand, pulled a black bandana off of his own and threw it at her. She barely managed to catch it and looked at him, confused.

He looked pointedly at her profusely bleeding arm before turning his back to her and facing his opponent once again.

"Run, shrimp. This is about to get messy." His voice was gruff and squeezed at her heart. She nodded fiercely, mouthed a thank you even though he could not see it, and turned quickly on her heel. She sloppily tied the bandana around her wound as tight as she could, and that was when she noticed that they were no longer alone.

Four more men were approaching, with what looked like guns in their hands. Memories began flashing through her head, and she had read enough stories to know what came next. Hands hugging herself tightly with a choked sob, she bowed her head and braced herself for the bullets as she ran undoubtedly into her demise.

She heard two gunshots, so loud she felt their vibrations in her heart, but the impact never came.

Instead, she felt a gloved hand grab her own and pull her forward. Luckily, it was her uninjured arm. She looked up to see a girl around her age with big, brown eyes and blonde hair.

Her voice was gentle, comforting. "Come with me." The blonde whispered, tugging her along.

She scanned the area, skimming over a man with startling pink hair and a wild grin joining the fight several paces from them, and landed on her savior once again. He was on the ground with the other man now. She swore she saw more red, but this time it wasn't his eyes.

The blonde was calm, but persistent. "They'll be fine. Come on." With one last tug, Levy unrooted her feet and followed the other girl. Her eyes screwed shut tightly when another gunshot resonated through the area.

She didn't know how long they ran for. It felt like hours, but surely it was no more than a few minutes. They stopped in front of what looked like a rundown bar, and before she knew it she was being ushered down into the basement.

She never stopped to question the girl's motives. For all she knew, the blonde could've been on the other man's side. Something inside of her trusted her innately, for some reason.

The blonde knocked on the door four times. "Elfman, it's Lucy. I have a guest."

Large, wooden doors opened and she was surprised to find a room full of people talking and laughing over mugs of beer. An enormous, tanned man with silvery hair nodded at the blonde—Lucy—and Lucy softly pulled her in.

A few heads turned their way, but Lucy ignored them and walked straight to another room all the way in the back, stopping only to check on her occasionally.

Moments later, Levy was seated on a plain wooden chair in the kitchen area. It was empty save for the two of them and, at last, she was able to catch her breath and allow her brain to catch up with all of the events that had just transpired.

Lucy was pulling a mug from a shelf and filling it with what Levy assumed was tea. Lucy offered the steaming cup to her, and Levy accepted it out of politeness though she had no appetite for anything. She took a few sips anyway.

Pulling up a chair, Lucy took a seat in front of her with a frown set on her lips as she scanned over her. Her gaze was locked onto Levy's right arm, and that was when she remembered the cut. She had almost forgotten about it during their sprint to safety, but now that they had settled she felt the harsh, stinging pain once again.

"May I?" Lucy asked, motioning to her wound.

Levy nodded in response, not trusting her voice. Her blood had saturated through the black bandana and Levy had to try hard not to look away and grimace as Lucy's peeled the cloth back. Her fingers were concentrated and nimble, as if she had done it many times before.

The frown on Lucy's face had yet to budge as she studied the wound more closely. "Maybe Mira has something in her room…" She muttered, standing up.

Her eyes changed, as if she just remembered something. "Sorry, I'm Lucy." She introduced herself with a hand on her chest.

"L-levy." Her throat was hoarse from the crying and the run. She cleared her throat and took another sip of tea. "My name's Levy."

What had happened to the man who saved her? She wondered. What about that odd pink haired man too, that had joined them later? Were they okay? Where was she? Why did Lucy take her here? Should she have called the cops?

Lucy offered her a small smile, though her eyes were still troubled. "You're very brave, Levy." She paused on her way out. "I'll go find something to dress your wound. Don't worry, I'll be right back."

Inside, her heart and mind were still racing, but she urged her body to calm down. There was no point in panicking now. She was in an unfamiliar area, just a door away from a room full of unfamiliar people. Lucy was helping her, she reminded herself. The man with the red eyes had saved her. The pink-haired man had protected them too. She repeated the three sentences like a mantra in her head and Levy managed an affirmative nod at Lucy.

Lucy left the room, closing the door behind her.

Brave, huh?

Levy looked down at the black bandana that somehow looked even darker with the blood. Studying it more closely, she saw a symbol stitched in with silver thread. She hadn't seen it before, most likely due to the darkness and panic in which she had tied it around her arm. It looked strange, almost like a bird or a fairy with its wings pulled back as if in flight.

The symbol looked familiar somehow. She dug deep into her memory for some kind of hint—was it from a book she read? Or even graffiti, perhaps?

Her heart nearly stopped as she remembered. A book she had pulled out from the restricted section almost two summers ago, covered in decades of dust. She nearly had a coughing fit from the staleness of the pages when she opened it. _The History of Magnolia_ , volume 7. Section 6, Crime Organizations, page 502. She thought long and hard, but could not for the life of her remember what she had read. She could only recall the name associated with it.

 _Fairy Tail_.

End Prologue

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A/N: Hi Gajeevy fandom! I typed up this story in the spur of the moment. It'll be a fun and casual story for me to write… I usually stick with Lucy-centered stories, but I read a Gajeevy story involving mermaids and sharks recently and couldn't help myself. This story is writing itself… I have no control. Hope you enjoyed it! Please leave a review and share your feedback with me. :)


	2. 01 - Envisage

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

 **Gangster Squad**

01

Chapter One - Envisage

She was in the home base of a renowned criminal organization.

Poor Pantherlily… the stray cat was probably waiting at her doorstep right now, unaware that she may never, ever return.

Scenario after scenario ran through Levy's head, each one more and more gruesome than the other—being held hostage, used as bait or for ransom…

She was startled out of her thoughts when the door swung open and a young girl with long, dark blue hair stumbled in with clumsy steps and greeted her with a cheery smile.

"Wendy! Go back to your room!" She heard Lucy's voice call out and the blonde entered the kitchen right after her, arms akimbo.

The girl looked no older than 14 and she stopped in front of Levy with a first aid kit in hand and a practiced pout on her innocent face. "But Lucy-nee, I want to help."

Lucy sighed in a way that indicated that this was a common occurrence. "Wendy…" She reached out and put a hand on Wendy's shoulder, pulling her back slightly.

"Please, Lucy-nee?" Wendy pleaded, turning to face Lucy with a frown. She snuck a peek back at Levy's arm, undeterred at the drying blood streaking down her skin. "It's Friday and I already studied after school today!"

"Wendy, why are you even up? It's already late." Lucy mirrored her frown but let her hand drop to the floor. "If you don't get enough rest, how can you keep up with Polyursica-san at the clinic tomorrow?"

Levy looked around for a clock in the room. It couldn't be too late… everything had happened so fast. The entire ordeal could not have lasted more than half an hour.

"Lucy-nee…"

"Okay, fine!" Lucy caved, throwing her hands into the air in exasperation. "But if Gray asks, make sure you tell him how I tried to stop you." Lucy grumbled.

Wendy cheered and eagerly turned to her new patient with a wave. "Hello, Levy-san. My name is Wendy!"

"Nice to meet you." Levy croaked before clearing her throat again. She felt herself smiling at the fellow blunette. So young, sweet, and innocent. What was this kind girl doing in a place like this?

Her face must have been transparent to her thoughts, as Wendy offered her a quizzical expression before smiling again.

"I've been observing Polyursica-san, a doctor at Vermillion Hospital for the past few months. Sometimes, when people come home and aren't hurt too badly, I get to try to help them myself." Wendy explained shyly. She had taken out a small towelette from a pack and was cleaning off the area around the wound with gentle precision.

Levy observed her with something akin to disbelief. Fairy Tail was associated with Vermillion Hospital, the top hospital in Magnolia? This adorable girl called this place _home_?

"Sorry, Levy-san. This is going to sting a little."

She hissed in pain as Wendy lightly dabbed an antiseptic wipe directly over the cut. There was still a little bit of bleeding, but the bandana seemed to have done its job in clotting most of the wound.

Wendy blew softly over the area and Levy sighed in relief as the cool air overtook the stinging sensation. It almost felt like healing magic on her arm.

After rubbing a mysterious green salve over the wound with a cotton pad, Wendy expertly wrapped her arm with gauze.

"Do… do you want to be a doctor one day?" Levy asked hesitantly and smiled slightly when Wendy nodded eagerly. She still felt awkward and uncomfortable, especially with her newfound awareness of who she was dealing with.

But these two—Lucy and Wendy—they didn't seem like the type to be caught up in a gang. They were kind to her. They seemed like normal, loving people.

That man too, with those intense, red eyes. He didn't have to save her. He knew nothing about her or what had happened in the alleyway. It was none of his business; he didn't have to interfere. But he did, and he even cared enough to give her something to stall the bleeding on her arm.

Well, maybe 'cared' was a strong word.

"Unfortunately, Wendy gets a lot of practice here." Lucy said with a sigh before muttering. "Stupid, reckless idiots."

"You're one to talk, Lucy-nee." Wendy teased as she began to pack away the first aid supplies. "You're always following after them too."

"Well, someone has to keep the idiots in line while Erza's gone."

"Ah, Erza-san will be back next week, right? I want to bake a big cake for her return!"

"A small cake will do, Wendy. You know what happens when Erza gets too much sugar…"

Their bantering continued on with mentions of this 'Erza' person and how she was apparently out on a 'mission' for the time being. From the sound of it, she was quite the character—a sweets-loving, rule-abiding woman who held an iron fist.

Levy gradually felt some of her discomfort fade and even began to laugh along with the girls as they told tall tales of their friend. She noticed they seemed to be very open with her, which was strange considering what she knew about gang culture. Of course, this snippet of gang culture knowledge was cited from a cheesy crime movie she watched a few months ago.

"Levy, do you live nearby?" Lucy suddenly questioned her with concern etched on her face. "It's quite late…" It was half-past eleven, but it still felt early to Levy because of all the late nights she spent reading in bed. "I can see if there's a spare bed for you if you would like." Lucy offered.

She was touched. Still apprehensive, but touched. "Oh, no—I couldn't. You all have already done enough for me—"

"Oh, don't be silly!" Lucy tutted, waving her off. "You were in danger and we had the means to help you. It's what we do."

She felt progressively more stunned and confused, but the tiredness began weighing heavily on her. The combination of the exhaustion she accrued from her shift work, the terror she felt during the attack, and the mental overload that had happened upon discovering she was in Fairy Tail headquarters hit her all at once and she found herself agreeing to Lucy's proposal.

"Great! I don't know if we have any extra beds in storage, actually… but if anything, you can take mine for the night!"

"Then where will you sleep, Lucy-nee?"

"I can just sleep in Erza's for the night. I'm sure she wouldn't mind!"

"Are you sure about that…?"

Levy giggled as a look of fear briefly flashed across Lucy's face.

"Or Natsu's. The idiot's hogged my bed so many times, it's about time he gets a taste of his own medicine."

"You.. and Natsu-san sleep in the same bed?!" Wendy squeaked with a blush and a giggle as the blonde began waving her arms wildly in denial.

"N-no! W-well, sometimes. But it's not like that, Wendy—"

Suddenly the door slammed wide open and her savior hobbled into the kitchen, one arm begrudgingly thrown over the white-haired man (now hunched over slightly due to his height) that was at the door—was his name Elfman?—for support.

He was studying her, eyes so intense they sent shivers down her spine. He looked roughed up, with one hand clenching tightly against his lower abdomen. It was too dark for her to see before, but now she could clearly identify the metal piercings lining his nose and brows. It may have looked intimidating to most, but she found it oddly attractive on him. He was dressed in a black vest and pants with his arms bare and she could now see a large, black, Fairy Tail symbol on high on his left arm, where he had pulled off his bandana for her.

She met his eyes with equal intensity and sent a message with them— _thank you_ _again_. He smirked at her and opened his mouth to say something but hissed in pain instead.

"Gajeel-san! Are you okay?" A concerned Wendy rushed up to the boys, helping guide him to a chair.

"If I was, would I be letting this guy over here touch me?" Gajeel grunted, nodding his head over at the white-haired man.

The white-haired man pulled away as Lucy took his place in helping.

"Elfman, Gajeel, what happened?"

Elfman shrugged and explained how he just opened the door for Gajeel and saw his "fellow man" bleeding out at the doorstep. Elfman then excused himself, saying he needed to clean up the trail of blood before Mira saw it.

"Bastard got a stab in, is all." Gajeel said through clenched teeth as Wendy pulled his tattered vest up to reveal a deep gash just above his right hip. Levy let out a soft gasp at the sight, covering her mouth when his eyes darted towards her again.

"Y-you should go to the hospital!" Her mouth spoke before her brain could stop it.

She fought the blush on her cheeks when he smirked at her. "Don't worry, shrimp. This pipsqueak over here can patch me up just fine." He nodded towards Wendy and she could see the hint of affection he held for the girl who was now working on cleaning the wound with unbreakable concentration.

Lucy excused herself to get some warm towels to clean up the blood and a spare change of clothes for both of them.

"My name's Levy." She spoke up after a few minutes passed with only the sound of Wendy's busy hands digging through her first aid kit.

"Gajeel." He responded with a nod at her, gaze unwavering.

She absently skimmed a finger over her gauze-covered arm.

"How's the arm, shrimp?"

She frowned slightly at the repeated dig at her short stature. Even after she told him her name, the nerve of this guy! He did save her though, so she would let it slide for now. "Much better, thanks to Wendy-chan." Levy smiled at the girl who beamed at her before returning to work.

"See, who needs a hospital when we have this little one?" Gajeel snickered and within seconds, his cool-mysterious-tough guy imagine shattered in her head at the sound of his laugh. "Geehee."

"Gajeel-san, you're flattering me." Wendy giggled. "Incoming."

He growled as she brushed antiseptic over his wound and Levy shuddered as she felt the sympathy pains.

Lucy returned and tossed a towellete at Gajeel before politely handing Levy one along with a small stack of clothes. "I hope these fit you. I think you might be a few sizes smaller than me, but they should be okay to sleep in."

Levy held back a frown as she looked pointedly at Lucy's well-endowed chest and curvy body. She gladly accepted the clothes anyway. "Thank you, Lucy-san."

"Just Lucy is fine!" The busty girl corrected her. "I can show you to the room now."

Levy stood up, stumbling slightly in exhaustion, and followed Lucy out of the room, but not without one last glance at Gajeel. He was looking at her too, face unreadable. He gave her a small nod before they slipped out the door.

"Where is the other man that was with you?" Levy asked as Lucy led her through a hallway and opened one of the last doors. "The one with pink hair."

Lucy hummed and Levy could hear the hint of worry in her voice even as she tried to make light of it. "He should be on his way home... That idiot probably told Gajeel to come back first. Stupid boy, always thinking he's invincible."

"He looked like he knew what he was doing." Levy offered helplessly. From the 10 seconds that she saw him, anyway. She wanted to console the girl who had been taking care of her so graciously, but didn't know how.

She was becoming incredibly aware of how openly they talked around her. They were careful at the same time, never digging too deep into what was happening—no explicit mentions of the violence even though two wounded people had literally just stumbled into their hideout and left blood on the kitchen tiles.

Lucy let out a small laugh. "Yeah, he'll be okay. He better be, or I'll give him a piece of my mind."

Lucy turned the lights on, revealing a small, cozy room. A shelf in the corner was decorated with a scatter of books—some which Levy recognized—and a plain wooden desk was covered in papers upon papers of handwritten text. A twin-sized bed was pushed against the other corner with pink sheets.

"Make yourself comfortable." Lucy said cheerily. "Feel free to borrow a book if you would like."

Levy blushed slightly as she realized her excitement at seeing the books may have been a little too apparent. "Thank you, Lucy."

"Of course! I'll be right outside when you're ready and I'll show you where the bathroom is."

Levy nodded as the blonde left the room, closing the door behind her.

She took the time to study the room more closely. There were a handful of picture frames poised on the desk: one with Lucy, Wendy, and a beautiful redheaded girl at the beach with pretty smiles on their faces; another showed the pink-haired man, a handsome, pale dark-haired man, and Gajeel glaring at each other face-to-face at what was probably the same beach; the last one showed a smiling Lucy with her arm around the equally smiley pink-haired guy. Her right hand was bare, revealing the same Fairy Tail symbol she had just seen on Gajeel, but in pink.

There were glow-in-the-dark stars pasted to the walls, some coming together to form distinct constellations. A cute, white snowman plushie sat nestled in between the pillows, flanked by a pair of little blue alien-like plushies. Lucy had also left an extra pillow and blanket at the foot of the bed for her.

She couldn't help but snoop around. No matter how nice the Fairy Tail gang seemed so far, she still had to be cautious. However, the bedroom seemed typical of a teenage girl; nothing was really out of the ordinary...

Except for the plain, black whip with a pointed end and a brown belt hanging around the bedpost in loops.

Having stalled long enough, she stripped off her clothes and cleaned herself off as well she could with the damp towelette before putting on the pajama set Lucy loaned her. The plain black t-shirt was awfully loose in the chest region, but the grey cotton shorts fit just fine.

Levy bundled up her dirtied dress and exited the room.

"Oh, great! They fit." Lucy said with a smile. She motioned for Levy to follow her and they took a few small turns before reaching the bathroom.

Lucy then instructed her on how to use the sink (it was a little faulty and could only operate correctly when turned at just the right angle), and dug around the cabinet for a spare toothbrush and toothpaste.

It was all a little too much for Levy.

She wanted to ask—she was already curious by nature, but the sheer insanity of all that transpired left her with more questions than she could count.

One thing was for sure, though—there was much more to Fairy Tail than what was in that book.

So after she proceeded with her nighttime routine and bid Lucy a good night (but not before the blonde made her swear she would wake her up if she needed anything), Levy found herself lying wide-awake in Lucy's bed, trying to figure out just what on Earthland was going on.

Levy McGarden, an honor roll student who sailed through classes with flying colors while working part-time and was bound for the esteemed Vermillion University in three months, was spending the night in the homebase of an infamous criminal organization.

Criminals. Guns. Violence. Gangs. Fairy Tail.

She groaned, massaging her head with her hand and flipped onto her other side for the fiftieth time that night.

After roughly twenty minutes of looking for reason, Levy decided it was best to just clear her head completely and let things play out. They seemed harmless so far… to her, at least.

All of the exhaustion from the eventful night finally hit Levy in the form of a heavy sleep wave, and all at once she was in a deep sleep.

* * *

Levy only had one boyfriend in the past. They had met their freshmen year of high school in math class and bonded over reading and movies. He was her first kiss, and they dated for nearly six months before mutually deciding to call it quits. Since then, she was able to switch her focus onto books and schoolwork, pushing all thoughts of relationships to the back of her head. She still enjoyed admiring the uh— _fine physical aspects_ —of the opposite sex, but she had little interest in dating and being with somebody else at this point in her life.

Which was why it was very strange when she woke up early the next morning with someone—very distinctly _male_ —pressed up against her back.

She was facing the wall with wide eyes, unmoving as she listened to the soft snoring of the stranger behind her. It was easy to hold back the scream when she remembered where she was—she didn't want to fall out of favor with any Fairy Tail members by causing a commotion early in the morning.

At least the guy was keeping his hands to himself. There was just a bit of arm digging into her spine…

She began breathing deeply to calm herself down. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10… and back down. 10, 9, 8….

She squeaked as the stranger suddenly flipped onto his side, facing her, tugging the blanket away as he did. She could feel her hair move with every one of his breaths.

The snoring stopped.

"Luce… you smell weird." His voice was low as he mumbled sleepily only inches away from her ear, not nearly as deep as Gajeel's, with a sort of raspy quality to it.

The snoring restarted and Levy let out a puff of air she didn't know she was holding.

So this person thought she was Lucy. That was both a relief and quite disconcerting. Who in the world—oh, wait a minute. Levy thought back to what Lucy and Wendy were talking about the previous night. Spare beds… Bed hog...

She cautiously inched closer to the wall as to not wake the man and slowly rotated her body until she was laying on her back, arms held tightly to her sides. A small peak to her right revealed her guess was correct as she was greeted with a headful of pink hair and a trail of drool that was beginning to form a small puddle on the pillow.

Maybe she could slide down to the edge of the bed and slip off without him knowing…

Carefully, she used her legs to inch her body down the mattress.

She barely managed to slip her head off the pillow when the sound of snoring stopped abruptly once again.

Levy froze in place.

"Hey… you're not Lucy." Natsu observed, strangely calm even though a strange blue haired girl was inch-worming herself off of the bed next to him. "You're that girl from last night!"

She shot up into sitting position. "Uh, yes. My name is Levy." She greeted uncomfortably.

"I'm Natsu!" He grinned a big, toothy grin at her and stuck out his hand, which she shook with some reluctance. "Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too…" She replied slowly. "Can I—uh—get up, please? I need to speak with Lucy about something."

"Eh? Alright!" Natsu rolled off the bed and stood up with a stretch and that's when Levy realized he was wearing nothing but a pair of pants. There, on his right upper arm was the Fairy Tail symbol tattooed on in red ink. "I'll go too. She's gonna be mad I didn't tell her when I got back." He explained, scratching the back of his neck.

Levy stood up after him, straightening out the borrowed pajamas. This was definitely ranked high on her list of awkward encounters. The man didn't seem to have many social boundaries, judging by his nonreaction to his bed buddy for the night being—er, her. It made her wonder just what kind of relationship Natsu had with Lucy…

For a few seconds, neither of them moved. Then, Levy realized that he probably didn't know where to find Lucy since he thought he was sleeping next to the blonde the whole time.

"I believe she said she was sleeping in either your room or Erza's room for the night." Levy said.

She noticed that Natsu's face paled slightly before returning back to normal.

"So that means Erza isn't back yet…" He muttered under his breath in what sounded like relief. "I stopped by my room before coming here, so she must be at Erza's."

Levy nodded and followed a few paces behind him as he led her down the hallway. They stopped in front of a worn wooden door. Natsu nearly barged in before he suddenly froze, whispered Erza's name under his breath, and raised his hand up to knock politely.

"Come in!" Lucy's familiar voice beckoned them and Levy felt some of her discomfort ebb away. Lucy sounded wide-awake, despite the early hour.

Actually, Levy had no idea what time it was. Her phone had powered out sometime in the night and there were no windows since they were underground. Everything was so overwhelming that she had yet to focus on finding a clock to check, too.

One thing she did notice, however, was just how incredibly _large_ the Fairy Tail base was. It was like an underground three-star hotel. Levy was sure she hadn't even seen half of it, too.

"Natsu! Why didn't you wake me when you got back?" And then, "Oh, good morning, Levy. Did you sleep well?"

Lucy was standing, in the midst of making the bed. Surprisingly, she was not alone. Wendy sat at the desk chair, swinging her legs to and fro as she greeted both of them sweetly.

"Welcome back, Natsu-san! Good morning Levy-san, how is your wound?" To which Levy responded back with a smile and a thumbs up.

Leaning against the wall with his arms crossed was Gajeel, still looking worse for the wear, but much better than last night. He was eyeing her with that same indeterminable expression on his face. He had another bandana on him today, but this time it was tied around his forehead, making him look even more serious than before.

She absentmindedly reached up to adjust her own headband, but realized it must've fallen off some time last night without her knowing. Her hair must be a mess right now...

"Dragneel. Shrimp." He greeted with a nod.

"Heya Wendy! Redfox. Sorry, Luce! I tried, but when I got to your room I was so tired I just went to sleep!"

Lucy sighed, smoothing out the sheets one last time before crossing her arms. "Fine, fine. But what happened after we left?" Her face froze suddenly, jaw dropping slightly. "Did you just say you fell asleep in my room?"

"Yepp."

Levy took a small step away from Natsu.

"But… You... Levy…" Lucy gaped before her expression turned stern. "Natsu! You don't just go sleeping next to our guests! Levy was hurt and needed her rest."

Gajeel was chuckling in the corner.

"Way to go, Salamander." He snorted and smirked at the two of them. "You okay, shrimp?"

"But Luuucy, I was so tired." Natsu whined. "And I thought she was you."

Lucy flushed red and Wendy began giggling in her seat. "I—well—that's not the point!"

Levy decided to step in. The situation was awkward enough without more parties being involved. She was also eager to know what had happened after Lucy pulled her to safety last night.

"It's okay, Lucy. I was so exhausted that I didn't even notice until I woke up this morning." She explained that there was a dull, bruising pain where her cut was, but otherwise she felt much better.

She met Gajeel's eyes before looked pointedly at his wound. "How are you doing?"

He stared back at her silently for a few moments before letting out a snort. "Peachy. This is nothing. I've had worse. Thanks for your concern, shrimp, but I don't need it."

Levy couldn't hold back her frown at the man who was giving her a smug look. Her brain was telling her to keep quiet and be nice to the man who saved her, but her ego was telling her to stick it to him. In the end, she settled for an in between.

"Fine, then I take it back."

Lucy gasped and waved her arms wildly as if to diffuse the argument. "Gajeel didn't mean—"

Gajeel let out a loud, bellowing laugh, catching her off guard. "Calm down, bunny-girl. Just teasin'—the shrimp's got some spitfire in her. Geehee."

"You boys are going to be the death of me."

Levy laughed softly as Lucy chided the boys before turning her attention towards Natsu who had gotten serious.

"So… what happened?" Levy prompted him, wringing her wrist in anticipation.

Natsu studied her briefly before shooting a questioning look over at Lucy, who nodded in return. Levy assumed he was checking to see if it was okay to disclose top-secret criminal information in front of her.

"Just some Twilight Ogre lackeys who are trying to take over our turf." Natsu shrugged dismissively. He looked down and tugged at his pants pocket uncomfortably.

"No way." Gajeel narrowed his eyes. "Twilight Ogre is all talk. Those bastards were armed and ready to fight us."

"Natsu." Stepping closer, Lucy pressed a hand to his shoulder. "What aren't you telling us?"

Natsu glanced at Levy again and then snuck a look at Wendy, who was now standing next to Lucy with wide eyes.

Wendy frowned when she caught the look. "Natsu-san, I'm 14 years old now. You would say it if Romeo were here instead of me."

Natsu sighed and reached over to affectionately tousle Wendy's hair. "You got me there, Wen."

Gajeel pushed off the wall and came up to stand between Levy and Natsu. "Spit it out, Salamander."

"I think Jose sent them."

The room fell dead silent and Levy eyed the group with fascination. Wendy's hands had shot up to cover her mouth in shock. Lucy's fists were clenched and her head was bowed. Gajeel's stance was similar, shoulders shaking slightly in barely-restrained rage. Natsu himself was glaring down at the floor, hands fiddling with something in his pocket.

"That bastard." A low growl erupted from beside her and Levy felt herself shiver at the coldness of his voice.

"Wait." Lucy's voice shook slightly. She regained her composure before speaking again. "What makes you say that?"

Natsu fidgeted slightly before withdrawing the item from his pocket. His fist opened to reveal the empty barrel of a bullet, engraved on the side with a symbol that Levy didn't recognize.

"They shot at you?" Lucy asked with concern as Wendy gasped.

Gajeel slammed his fist into the wall with another growl, causing Levy to jump slightly. "Fuck."

"A few times." Natsu answered. "But even with Phantom weapons, they're still Twilight Ogre."

"Maybe they just found the guns somewhere." Lucy's voice was starting to waver again.

"Impossible. I know Jose and he wouldn't let his name get dragged around the streets unless it was part of his plan." Gajeel scoffed. "God fucking dammit."

"I'm sorry, Luce."

Lucy dropped down and hugged her knees to her chest, burying her face into her arms. Levy noticed her light pink Fairy Tail mark was uncovered, showing clearly on the back of her right hand.

Natsu crouched down to her level and rested a hand on her head.

"It'll be alright, Luce. I won't let them take you again."

"I don't care what they do to me! I just want them to leave the rest of you guys alone!" Lucy cried out in anguish.

"No chance. It's not just you they're after this time." Gajeel muttered under his breath. " _Shit._ "

"Hey, Luce." Natsu was speaking softly with her. "Hey, remember? We're in this together, okay?"

Wendy had begun tearing up, and Levy could do nothing but watch them all in silence.

"No, this is my fault. If I just—"

"Hey, bunny girl. Quit it. None of this is your fault." Gajeel said gruffly. "And like I said, he's probably gunning for me as much as he is for you, if not more. But we're stronger than them."

Lucy sniffled but complied as Natsu pulled her back into standing position.

"We've got something they don't got, remember?" Gajeel looked at her sternly. "Don't worry, bunny girl. Now quit scaring Wendy and the shrimp."

"Oh, Levy, Wendy… I'm so sorry." Lucy took a deep breath and plastered on a forced smile. She fiddled with her fingers before nodding at Levy. "I'll go set up for breakfast and then we'll walk you home and take Wendy to the hospital." Lucy mumbled before darting out of the room without another word, Natsu following close behind her.

Wendy excused herself too, but not before studying both Levy and Gajeel's wounds with a critical eye.

Levy bit her lip and reviewed the information she just heard. These Phantom people must have tried to take Lucy before and started a feud between the gangs. But just what did they want with a girl like Lucy and why was Gajeel so heavily involved in all of this?

Gajeel was sitting on the chair that Wendy had vacated earlier, running his fingers over the Fairy Tail insignia on his left arm and staring blankly in front of him.

Five minutes elapsed.

She must've looked worried because Gajeel spoke up.

"Don't worry about bunny girl, she'll be fine." He let out a humorless laugh. "Sometimes I think she might be stronger than all the rest of us here."

"Here." Levy repeated. Pushing all her courage forward, she continued. "In this gang. Fairy Tail."

There, she finally said it.

"Yeah. Here. Fairy Tail."

"Why did you all save me and take me here?"

Hours of time with these people and not one person had given her an explanation as to why Fairy Tail would keep an outsider around for so long. It was much easier for her to ask Gajeel these questions than Lucy, for some reason. Maybe she just didn't want to hurt the blonde's feelings by seeming overly guarded or questioning after receiving all the kind hospitality.

Or maybe there was just something different about Gajeel.

Gajeel was silent for so long that Levy was afraid she overstepped her boundaries, but she couldn't just smile and play the perfect guest forever. She never liked being kept in the dark.

"Fairy Tail," Gajeel began. "is more than a gang. It's a family, a place where lost people go for protection. Don't just believe what you hear on the streets, kid."

He was looking directly at her and Levy matched his hard expression with one of her own.

Kid? He probably wasn't even much older than her.

"As for why we saved you," He said. "You did nothing wrong. You were just at the wrong place at the wrong time. We don't let innocents get hurt on our turf."

"But why keep me around? Why didn't you just let me run off last night in the alleyway?"

"I don't know if you noticed, Shrimp, but those Twilight fuckers had reinforcements all around us."

"How was it any safer for me to run after Lucy?"

"That girl," Gajeel chuckled slightly. "Has all the stars on her side. Lucky Lucy, they call her."

Levy's jaw dropped slightly. So the only thing they were betting on protecting her that night she ran with Lucy was pure luck?

Gajeel cackled even more at her expression. "Not to mention she can take down a man twice her size."

Levy huffed and instinctively punched him lightly on the arm, like she would with Jet and Droy. Immediately after doing so she recoiled and inwardly berated herself for forgetting where she was and who she was with.

He was smirking at her now. "And as for why we kept you around—that's bunny girl's call. Maybe she just likes ya."

Gajeel stood up slowly, keeping a hand pressed against his lower abdomen. His other hand reached toward her face and she froze.

Her heartbeat was out of control and she felt her cheeks flush as his hand got closer and closer.

He moved a stray, wavy blue hair away from her face.

She could only blink at him.

Without another word, he turned away and walked towards the door. When he reached it, he paused, slipping a free hand into his pocket to pull out an orangey-gold cloth.

She clumsily reached out to catch it when he threw it at her without warning.

It was a bandana, similar to the black one that he lent her last night but with the stitching in white instead of silver.

"Gramps gave me the wrong color. You look like you need it more than I do." He said with a smirk.

She gaped at him, slightly offended, and stammered. "Y-you... what—"

Gajeel simply turned on his heel before sniffing the air. "Breakfast is ready." He called out behind him as he walked away.

She could hear the smugness in his voice and her fingers tightened around the bandana. The nerve of this guy!

Still, she combed her wavy hair back and folded up the bandana carefully before tying it around her head begrudgingly. She lightly tousled the shorter strands in the back before taking a deep breath and following the Fairy Tail member to the kitchen.

They were an enigma to her, Fairy Tail. But damn if she wasn't intrigued.

She could never stop herself from a good story, after all.

And Levy was certain this Phantom business was just the beginning.

End Chapter One

* * *

A/N: Hello again, readers! Thank you all for your reviews! I was very surprised and flattered by all your encouraging messages, so I tried my best to churn out a good chapter for you all. :') The action will start picking up soon, I promise. Thanks for reading and please leave a review and share your feedback with me.

I had a hard time finding a good stopping point for this chapter because I didn't want to make it too short after making you all wait so long… But what do you prefer: more frequent updates with short chapters, or longer chapters with longer waits in between?


	3. 02 - Incite

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

 **Gangster Squad**

02

Chapter Two – Incite

Upon reaching the kitchen later that morning, Levy found that Lucy, Natsu, and Wendy had already pushed Phantom to the back of their minds and were trying their best to make up for the negative energy by being overtly cheery.

She had sat with a mouthful of waffles for the entire half hour because Wendy kept eagerly adding more to her plate, listening intently to Natsu's bombast story of how he found his cat, Happy (he apparently dropped from the sky).

After breakfast, Levy took one last look around Fairy Tail's basement before completing her morning routine and changing back into her own freshly washed clothes. Just as she was about to follow Lucy and Wendy out of the headquarters and back to reality, a hand grasping lightly around her wrist stopped her.

Gajeel stood in front of her, stone-faced.

"Shrimp."

"Levy." She corrected.

"Keep an eye out when you're on your own for the next few weeks."

She frowned at him, confused. "Why? Do you think they'll come after me?"

"They'll remember you, for sure. Just keep yourself out of trouble, alright, shrimp?"

His attempt to mask his concern flattered her, bringing a pretty smile to her face.

"I'll be fine, thank you."

His eyes studied her intently for several moments and her smile began to waver.

"I don't believe you." He scoffed. "Take this."

Her jaw dropped as she eyed the object in his outstretched hand. "Excuse me, I have been very good at looking after myself for the past few years. One run in with some bad apples doesn't change that." She paused. "Is that mace? And a _rape whistle_?"

In his palms was a short, black tube that was hanging from a key chain. Linked to it by another chain was a small, silver whistle.

Gajeel narrowed his eyes at her. "Yeah. Mace and a whistle. Just take it, will ya?"

"I don't need—"

"Killers." He cut her off. "Thugs. Criminals. That's who we're dealin' with here, not some cocky little school boys who think that smoking a couple of cigs they stole from their uncle's sock drawer makes them gangsters. They _will_ hurt you if they have the chance." He nodded pointedly at her bandaged arm and thrust his hand out further. "Take it."

When she made no move to grab the items, he opened her hand and dropped them in.

"Thanks, I guess." Levy responded, slightly shaken. She turned the mace around in her hands to study it and held it close to her.

Then, a heavy hand was on top of her head, warming her down to her toes.

"Hopefully I won't see you soon, Shrimp. Because if I do, it's probably bad news."

And with that, Gajeel turned to leave.

As she watched him turn the corner, she felt something in her chest. It was a strange combination of fear and excitement.

Something was telling her, fortunately or unfortunately, that they would be meeting again soon.

"Levy-san?"

"Oh! Sorry, Wendy-chan. I'm ready to go." She smiled at the younger girl.

Wendy eyed the mace and whistle but did not comment. Her cheeky grin said it all. "Great! Lucy-nee is going to meet us outside."

* * *

The morning air was fresh and crisp and the sun was already high in the sky. It took a while for Levy's vision to adjust to the brightness of it all, having been in such a dimly lit place for so long.

After dropping Wendy off at Vermilion Hospital several streets away (but not before thanking her again for the treatment), Levy and Lucy exchanged high school stories (they were the same age, it turned out) and gushed over their favorite books.

When Levy mentioned Pantherlily, her stray feline friend who frequented her small studio apartment, Lucy eagerly asked to meet him, which led them to where they were now—sitting on the carpet of Levy's modestly furnished living/dining/bedroom.

Levy didn't have many close female friends—or close friends in general, for that matter. Jet and Droy had been by her side since their awkward middle school days, but she could never talk to them about her wardrobe dilemmas, eye candies, or menstrual cramps. Well, she could, but that would only warrant blank stares and half-hearted agreements.

Spending time around the Fairy Tail girls reminded her of what she was missing out on.

"You would get along perfectly with Happy and Charle! Yes, you would." Lucy cooed while stroking Pantherlily, who looked unamused. "Charle is Wendy's cat." She clarified, answering Levy's unspoken question.

Levy made a sound of acknowledgment. She picked up Pantherlily's favorite toy—a foam sword Droy had bought from the dollar store and left at her apartment—and waved it around in front of the black cat lazily.

"Gajeel's been whining about not having a cat."

Levy's eyes widened and she giggled. "Whining?"

"Oh, yeah. He tries to act like Mr. Tough Guy, but at the end of the day, he's just as much of a kid as the rest of them." Lucy snorted. "The amount of times I've had to stop him, Natsu, and Gray from fighting… Honestly, I should get paid for it."

"I still can't picture him… whining…" Levy managed to say in between laughs.

"That's not fair! You all get a cat… where's mine?" Lucy tried her best impression, voice dropping low and gruff.

"Oh my."

"And don't even get me started on his songwriting…"

"His _what_?"

The two fell into another round of giggles.

"I can't believe it's only 10." Lucy said after catching her breath, bringing her knees to her chest. Her black fingerless gloves, once again, covered her Fairy Tail mark.

Levy tossed the foam sword to the other end of the room, watching Lily pounce after it. "I can't believe a lot of things right now." She said honestly.

Lucy fell silent, playing with the ends of her hair. Then, a soft smile spread across her face.

"Go ahead. Ask me."

Levy looked at her, embarrassed at being so transparent, but too curious to stop herself from asking the question that had been itching at her mind since last night.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I trust you." Lucy teased, sticking her tongue out which Levy responded in kind before her face turned serious.

"What are you… Why are you in Fairy Tail?" Levy asked. "Actually, I'm not even sure I know what Fairy Tail is anymore. Is it a gang? Gajeel said it was safe place—a family—but they can be one in the same as long as you're on the right side, right? But good or bad, you've all treated me with so much kindness… I guess I'm just confused."

Lucy looked up at the ceiling as she processed the question. She took a deep breath before answering.

"A year ago, I ran away from home. I was looking for a place to work in Hargeon town when I got caught up in a scam. A man convinced me that I could go in to interview for a position at a small business firm. There were three of them in the room. It turned out to be a site for human trafficking."

Levy was unable to stop her gasp, bringing her hands to cover her mouth. Hargeon was a beautiful port city several hours from Magnolia. She never would've imagined a serene, touristy place like that would have such a dangerous underground scene.

"They tried to drug me, but I was able to fight them off for a little bit. When I was about ready to give up, the doors slammed open." Lucy looked down with a soft smile. "I remember it so clearly. It was Natsu—pink hair, black vest, that bright, red Fairy Tail mark. They started pulling guns. I was so scared. He had a gun too, but he didn't shoot. He would punch, kick, knock the weapons out of their hands—but not once did he shoot them."

Levy nodded, eyes beginning to feel wet. She scooted closer to Lucy and put a comforting hand on her shoulder, which Lucy returned with a grateful look.

"Once they were thrown off enough, he took my hand and ran. He told me there was backup on the way, but that it was more important that I was safe first. We ended up ducking into a buffet and he told me about himself and Fairy Tail over lunch. Long story short, after everything happened, I still didn't have a place to go." Lucy removed her glove, dancing her fingers over her mark. "So Natsu brought me to Fairy Tail. He introduced me to everybody and told them I needed a place to call home. They took me in immediately. It had been a long time since I felt so welcomed and so happy."

Lucy eyes were brighter now as she spoke, causing Levy to smile along with her. "They gave me a place to stay, taught me how to fight and protect myself, and treated me like family. Not once did they force me to do anything I didn't want to do—everything was on my own terms.

"I was scared too, at first. I heard the stories. But Fairy Tail isn't like other gangs… they aim to protect, not to harm. It isn't about status or power, it's about keeping our town and people safe and saving people from the darkness."

Levy nodded. This was similar to what Gajeel had said. It made her wonder what his story was, too.

"That being said, there isn't always a peaceful way to do things." Lucy said with a frown. "There are times where we do have… altercations with other gangs. It comes with the business. But one of our rules is that we never aim to kill, only to stop."

"But sometimes that could mean killing?" Levy asked in a hushed whisper.

Lucy didn't respond, but Levy understood just by seeing the look in her eyes.

"Have you…?"

"No, never." Lucy responded quickly. "But I did see it. Once. But that's a story for another time." She finished with a half-hearted grin.

She still wasn't ready to talk about it, Levy realized. Her heart wretched for the blonde, the same age as she, who had gone through so much in her life.

Instinctively, she pulled Lucy in for a hug. "Thank you. For taking me in and for sharing this with me."

Lucy let out a watery laugh. "Like I said, I trust you." A sniffle. "And I know how bookworms work—questions without answers are like kryptonite for us."

They pulled away with matching smiles.

"Seriously, I think I understand now… I was skeptical at first, but I can see those bonds you all hold with each other." Levy said softly. She lifted her hand up to skim a finger over the bandana in her hair.

"You learn to trust people with your life after running into a few life or death situations with them." Lucy said jokingly, but Levy knew she was being completely serious.

"Well, I should be heading out." Lucy stood up with a short yawn, stretching her arms up above her head. "I have a few errands to run before I pick up Wendy from the hospital."

Levy nodded and followed her example. She gathered the mugs of tea left on the coffee table that had long gone cold and left them in the kitchen sink to soak. Meanwhile, Lucy was strapping her sandals back on in front of the door.

"Eh? Did Gajeel give you this?"

"Hm?" Levy looked up to see Lucy touching the keychain, holding mace and a silver whistle, hanging on a thumbtack beside the front door. "Yes, how did you know?" Her voice became suspicious at Lucy's thoughtful expression.

"Oh, it's one of the only things he brought with him when he came from—uh, when he joined Fairy Tail." Lucy explained.

Levy caught the trip up in her words, but glossed over it as she rushed over to open the door. "That's quite unexpected."

"Yeah." Lucy shrugged, reaching over to give Levy a hug. "Thanks for having me over!"

"Oh, of course! It was nice hanging out with a girl my age for once." Levy laughed. She hesitated, but put on a big grin. "Drop by the library and say hi sometimes!"

Lucy's brown eyes brightened and she nodded. "I'll definitely try to!" She offered her one last grin before leaving with a wave.

Levy shut the door behind her and promptly face-planted onto her couch. Pantherlily took the opportunity to pounce onto her back and make himself comfortable at the base of her neck.

"Lily… you will not believe the night I just had."

* * *

Two weeks had gone by with nothing out of the ordinary happening. Levy would wake up, eat breakfast, and watch old cartoons in the morning. In the afternoon, she would go out for her daily jog and buy fresh produce for lunch. After her second meal, she began her shift at the library where she would often work until closing. Dinners were spent eating leftovers in the break room with her book of the day. She followed up her shift with a shower or the occasional bubble bath and finished up the book of the day in bed before starting the routine over again the next day.

Her arm had since healed, though the skin was still slightly raw.

Fairy Tail felt like an elaborate dream that she had fashioned from the outlandish part of her mind. A criminal organization that was actually kind of _good_ , with odd characters like a pink haired guy and a tiny teenage girl. Then there was the girl whose luck alone could dodge bullets and the rugged delinquent-looking guy who suffered a stab wound and wrote bad love songs.

The only things that stopped her from believing she made it all up were, firstly, the very real wound that was on her arm; secondly, the golden bandana she was gifted by Rugged Delinquent-Looking Guy; and thirdly, the mace and whistle keychain that she now hung from the strap of her backpack at all times.

Lucy had never stopped by the library, although Levy couldn't say she was surprised. Although their time together was short, Levy felt like they understood each other. From what she knew of the blonde, Lucy probably didn't visit because she didn't want Levy to be associated with anyone in Fairy Tail, especially when they were currently sorting through problems with Phantom.

Unless that was all settled by now. Levy had no way of knowing.

Despite Gajeel's warning, she continued to go about her daily life without dragging someone along for company 24/7. Luckily, her closing shifts ended at much more reasonable hours than it had _that_ night. Still, because she felt slightly guilty at not honoring his request, she kept a ready hand on the pepper spray at all times if the sun had already begun to descend for the day.

She still thought about them often. Sometimes, late at night, her mind would bring her back to the moment when that man had pressed the knife into her arm and she would see Gajeel's red eyes meeting hers for the first time again. She would think about that gloved hand that reached out for her and pulled her to safety. Wendy's gentle, healing smile and Natsu's appropriately pointy grin also made occasional appearances.

On this particular evening, she was sitting at the bar of the ramen restaurant that Jet and Droy worked at, finishing up her dinner.

A slim, orange-haired man was leaning against the other side of the bar, wiping his hands on a kitchen towel.

"It's even busier than yesterday… is today a holiday or something?" Jet whined, throwing the towel over his shoulder. Fridays were usually their busiest day of the week.

Levy laughed as she carefully pilled the noodles into her spoon before taking it all in with one slurp. She made a noise of contentment. "Not that I know of. At least you can rack up those tips!" She grinned at her friend as he grumbled about how he'd much rather be outdoors than cooped up in the restaurant for the rest of the night.

She shushed him playfully. "Your manager could be listening!" Levy whispered and Jet snorted.

"Yeah, right."

Just as she took her last sip of broth, a small bowl of sherbet ice cream was placed in front of her.

She looked up to see a large, tanned man with black hair, sporting a unique up-do.

"On the house." He said with a grin.

"Thank you, Droy!" Levy chirped before digging in happily.

Droy nodded and waved at her before hurrying back into the kitchen.

It had been a while since Levy had been able to see her two childhood friends, despite working so close together. Jet was often busy coaching the local middle school track team during the day and putting in hours at the restaurant at night, while Droy pretty much worked at the restaurant from open to close. After seeing each other almost every day at school, it was a big change for the trio.

She wasn't even in her twenties yet and she was already feeling old.

Jet was staring at the counter with unbreakable focus, causing Levy to chuckle.

"Sarusuke-chan, not looking at them doesn't make them go away." She teased, turning her head discretely to check how many tables were trying to catch the attention of the waiter.

"Levy! You promised you wouldn't call me that in public." Jet said with a frown. "And I just need a few moments…"

"Oh hush, no one heard me." Levy waved off his concern. She took her final bite of ice cream and promptly retrieved her wallet from her backpack. She handed Jet her debit card. "Here, I'm giving you some stalling time. What time are you guys off?"

Jet swiped her card and tapped his fingers against the counter as he waited for the receipts to print. He checked his watch. "We still have three more hours. Do you need someone to walk you home? I could use my break." He offered, ripping two receipts off the machine and handing her one with a pen.

She picked the merchant copy and signed it, adorning it with a small doodle in the corner and leaving a generous tip.

"Thanks Jet, but I'll be fine!" She reassured him as she gathered up her belongings. She slipped on her backpack, hands grasping lightly at the straps. "Besides, I don't really want to sprint to my home right after a big bowl of ramen and ice cream."

Jet was eyeing the protective gear hanging just above her right fist. "If you say so… but if you change your mind, just give me a call and I'll be there in a flash!"

"Alright, alright."

"Text me when you get home!" Jet called out after her as she made her way out of the restaurant.

"I know the drill. Tell Droy I said bye!" Levy responded before opening the jingling door and closing it behind her.

It looked like the sun had just set when she stepped outside, but Saturday nights meant a lot of people wandering the streets downtown.

Levy reached up to adjust her bandana, carefully running her fingers along it to make sure the Fairy Tail embroidery could not be seen at all.

She hadn't worn it many times, but she just so happened to be wearing a cute orange-gold top today and wanted to match.

She began her walk home, observing the couples on dates and families out with their kids on the warm summer night.

Admittedly, she was a bit envious of them—but she had Jet and Droy, she reminded herself.

She was nearing that alleyway again. Her hand tightened around her mace. Since the incident, she been very cautious when walking by the area, but she knew it was unlikely another encounter would occur. She had walked by hundreds of times with no problem before, after all. Still, her heart rate increased as she passed the clearing and didn't return back to normal until she made it safely across.

When she was just a block away from home, she felt tap her shoulder from behind.

"Excuse me, miss." A chilling, snake-like voice said.

She turned to face a tall, narrow man with dark red hair pulled into a ponytail. His eyebrows and mustache were pointed, eyes sharp as an unnervingly calm smile rested on his face.

She resisted the urge to shiver.

"Would you kindly direct me to the nearest bank, young lady? I seem to be a bit lost."

Her grip tightened on the mace and she inwardly flinched as his attention drew to her keychain.

"Of course, sir." She responded with forced politeness, pulling her customer service personality to the surface. "Just continue down this block and make two rights."

"I'm sorry, young lady. I have such a poor sense of direction." His eerie smile had yet to recede. "If it's not too much to ask, can you show me where exactly to turn?"

Levy hesitantly took a step backwards. "Sorry, sir. I really have to get home." Her words were beginning to rush.

The smile dropped. "I understand. Thank you for your help, young lady."

The man turned and walked away slowly, and Levy had to physically shake off her discomfort. She had a bad feeling about that man. With a deep breath, she continued her walk home, taking faster steps this time. Maybe she should've asked Jet to take a break after all…

When she finally reached the outside of her apartment building, she swung her backpack around to retrieve her keys. Just as she was about to unlock the gate, a gloved hand grasped her wrist.

Levy gasped in fear and looked up to meet familiar big brown eyes.

She nearly collapsed against the gate. "Oh thank heavens, Lucy. You scared the crap out of me!"

Lucy shook her head and waved her hand, ushering Levy to open the gate, and that's when Levy realized that Lucy looked extremely perturbed.

As soon as the gate closed behind them, Lucy hastily pulled her towards the stairway, out of sight from the outside.

"Levy!" Lucy whispered harshly, peaking her head out of the stairway to look through the gate. Levy noticed that the whip and belt she had seen hanging from Lucy's bedpost were strapped securely around her hips. "Why are you out by yourself at this time?"

Levy glanced at the time on her phone and gave the blonde an incredulous look. "Lucy, it's only 8:30."

"Did that man say anything to you?" Lucy ignored her statement.

"You saw that?" Levy questioned, trying to think back to see if there was anyone around them at the time, but the girl ignored her again, prompting her to answer the question. "Not much, he just asked for directions. Pretty creepy."

She studied Lucy carefully. The Fairy Tail member was looking increasingly distressed.

"Lucy, what's wrong?"

"That man… if I saw correctly… he's the leader of Phantom."

Her breath caught in her throat at the thought of having been inches away—no, having been _touched_ by the leader of another crime organization.

"He's—he's the _what_? Lucy—!"

"Wendy." The worry in Lucy's voice caused Levy to pause in her exclamations. "Wendy—I was supposed to pick her up from the mall half an hour ago—she went shopping and out for dinner with Polyursica-san, but—but she wasn't where she said she would be waiting inside the mall."

Levy's heart wretched at the idea that something may have happen to the sweet young girl, but tried to remain rational and calm. "Maybe she went to the bathroom? Does she have a phone?"

"None of my calls are going through! I waited for twenty minutes and asked around if anyone saw her, but I got nothing." Lucy tugged at her gloves anxiously.

"It's okay, Lucy." Levy placed a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder. "We'll figure something out. Where are Natsu and Gajeel?"

Lucy just shook her head. "I texted them but no one's responding."

Levy bit her lip, a fraction of her hesitating before she promptly pushed that side of her aside, making up her mind. "I'll help you look for her."

Lucy shook her head resolutely. "No. No, Levy. Please just stay at home and don't open the door for anyone, alright? Now that I know that Phantom Lord is loose on the streets, I'm even more worried… I just saw you and came over to berate you a little for walking by yourself at night."

"It's only 8:30!" Levy cried out again. "And I'm fine, Lucy! Let me help you." Levy demanded, she squeezed Lucy's shoulder. "I'm coming with you whether you like it or not."

"If one of them catches you with me…"

"Then one of them catches me with you." Levy shrugged. "I'm worried about Wendy, too. Let me help you." She repeated, unmoving on her stance.

Lucy stared at her, unblinkingly. Levy knew that just a little more and she would have Lucy convinced.

She didn't quite know what she was doing. She had no business getting involved with the gangs. Lucy was obviously, and rather forcibly, trying to give her the clear, yet here she was, volunteering to get involved.

Maybe it was the bonds they had with each other. Maybe it was the mystery and excitement behind Fairy Tail and how it was turning out to be so many things she never imagined. Maybe it was because she felt like she really belonged during her short stay there.

It could have been a number of things, but all Levy knew right now was that Wendy was possibly in danger. That bright, caring girl who had patched up her wound with the widest smile and happily skipped down the street to shadow a doctor at the hospital the very next morning because she wanted to _save lives_.

Levy opened her mouth to add more to her argument, but Lucy cut her off.

"Fine." Lucy sighed, shaking her head. "You're just like the rest of them." She grumbled, but her face remained serious. "Just this once."

Levy's cheer was delayed when a vibration was heard and she watched as Lucy scrambled to pull out her phone, not even looking at the screen before she answered.

"Wendy?" Lucy asked desperately. "Oh god, Gray, it's just you."

Levy watched as Lucy began to pace, explaining the situation to her friend over the phone. It was a basic recap—Wendy was missing, Phantom was on the streets, and help was needed. After a few minutes, she hung up.

"Gray—another member—just saw my text. He's coming out to help us now… He said he'll meet us by the mall." Lucy took a deep breath, pulling her long blonde locks up into a high side ponytail. "Ready?"

Levy nodded, ignoring the little voice in her head that was telling her this was a terrible idea.

She tightened the bandana around her head with a small tug.

"Thank you, Levy. Really."

The little voice shrank away. "No problem."

* * *

They only waited in the small alley beside the parking garage of the mall for a few minutes before they were joined by a man of average height with a mess of black hair on his head.

The first thing Levy noticed about Gray was that he was the third guy in photo that was on Lucy's desk. The second thing was his rippling abs, because his shirt was wide open. The third was the Fairy Tail mark showing clearly on his right pectoral.

"Gray, button up." Lucy ordered. She expedited the introductions. "Levy, Gray. Gray, Levy."

"Hey," Gray eyed her curiously as he greeted her, shaking her hand briefly. His hand was cold to the touch. He jumped straight into business. "If it really is Phantom, then I think we both know where to go." He looked at Lucy, seeming to communicate something with his eyes. "You gonna be okay, Lucy?"

Lucy nodded, slightly pale but determined. "If there's even the smallest possibility that they might have Wendy, nothing will stop me from kicking some Phantom ass."

Gray smirked and met Levy's eyes next. "Hope you're up for some ass-kicking then, Levy." He buttoned up his shirt. "Lucy, take rear." He instructed. "I told the rest of the gang and so hopefully they'll get there first and take care of business."

Levy didn't have to ask what 'taking care of business' meant.

And without another word, he led them deeper into the alley. Lucy ushered her to follow closely behind him.

They took turns and loops through the streets, going through small back areas that she had never seen before. They climbed a few fences and at one point, even jumped over some crates.

Levy was blindly following the man, barely even taking in her surroundings. She was just happy that she was in relatively good shape. That didn't stop her calves from burning, though.

Finally, after what felt like forever, Gray stopped abruptly in front of an old brick building. The windows were boarded up, and from the architecture of the building alone, Levy could tell it used to be an old, old bus station.

She gulped.

Lucy's voice coming from behind her gave her some comfort. "Levy, if at any time—"

"Lucy, I said I was going to help, so I'm going to help." Levy said for the fiftieth time.

Gray chuckled slightly, before sobering up quickly. "Can you fight?"

Levy shook her head, fear nipping at her at the thought of needing to engage in combat with seasoned gang members. "But I'm small, so I can dodge. And I have some mace." She waved the hand that had been gripping tightly at the pepper spray for the entire run.

He gave her an approving nod and the hint of a smile. "Sounds good. Stay close."

Adrenaline rushed through her veins as Gray kicked aside one of the boards covering the windows and slipped in. Once he got inside the building, he motioned for Levy and Lucy to follow him.

Levy gripped at the chipped wooden frame and dropped in, almost tripping over her own feet during her landing.

The room was dark, very dark. The only luminance was the small peep of light streaming in from the window they entered through. There was an overpowering smell of staleness and dust that made her nose wrinkle.

She felt Lucy grab her hand and pull her forward.

"I remember the way." Lucy's voice sounded cold. "Gray, cover Levy."

Levy didn't know how Lucy was managing to lead them through the halls with so much adeptness when she herself still couldn't see a thing. Lucy seemed to know exactly where she was going too. Levy found it odd, but quickly remembered what Natsu had said to Lucy that morning two weeks ago.

I won't let them take you again.

"If I know Jose…" She heard Lucy whisper.

Lucy stopped walking, and Levy felt Gray bump into her and apologize at the sudden halt. Levy looked down and saw a small sliver of light streaming out from the gap below the door.

Lucy took a deep breath before turning the doorknob.

All Levy could hear was the thumping in her chest.

Lucy opened the door quickly and immediately pulled out a gun Levy didn't even know she had from her back pocket, pointing it in front of her with both hands and blocking Levy from view. Gray closed in from her side, closing the door behind him and Levy realized he was also holding a pistol.

She couldn't barely make out her surroundings as her eyes adjusted to the light.

"Wendy!" Lucy gasped, but didn't move.

Levy peaked out slightly from behind the taller girl.

The room was plain, holding nothing but one wooden chair. On that chair sat Wendy with her small arms bound behind her. Her head was nodded off to the side, long blue hair unbound from her pigtails and obscuring half her face. She was unconscious.

The only thing keeping her upright on the chair was the slender, ocean-haired woman holding onto Wendy's shoulders. She had matching cold, blue eyes that felt like they were shooting daggers through them as she studied them in silence.

It was like a scene out of a horror movie.

What did she get herself into?

Levy's heart felt like it was shaking in fear.

"Lucy Heartfilia." The blue-haired girl's voice was light and emotionless. "What a surprise—"

"Let Wendy go." Gray snapped as he glared at the girl. "You're outnumbered here."

The girl's eyes widened slightly and Levy swear she saw some pink on her cheeks.

"Juvia is one of Element 4. Juvia can—"

"I don't fucking care." Gray cut her off again. "No one hurts one of my friends and gets away with it." Then, under his breath he muttered. "Lucy."

Lucy nodded and reached one hand behind to grab Levy's wrist. At the same time, Gray rushed forward to engage the girl as Lucy pulled Levy to run around the perimeter of the room.

She barely managed to grasp onto the small swiss army knife that Lucy slipped into her hand.

"Cut the bindings." Lucy whispered to her as they approached Wendy from the other side.

Gray was swinging fist after fist at the blue-haired girl, but she was dodging fluidly. Levy realized he was trying to draw her away from Wendy.

He managed to land a punch at the girl's shoulder, causing her to back up with a gasp.

"Sorry, but it doesn't matter if you're a woman or even a child. I don't go easy on anybody who hurts my comrades." She heard Gray say.

Lucy took the opportunity to rush towards Wendy, pulling the girl up by the underarms.

"Levy!"

Levy nodded. She crouched down, sweaty hands shaking as she flipped open random settings on the army knife quickly, searching for the knife. When she found it, she immediately began sawing at the rope around the girl's hands.

"Come on, come on…" She put all her focus into cutting the rope vigorously, as if her own life depended on it, but it was barely making a dent.

"Do you have another knife?" Levy whispered. She looked up at Lucy but froze when she saw the girl was staring wide-eyed at a figure behind her.

Her blood ran cold as she felt a familiar cold, metal object against her neck.

"I have a really big one right here, girlie." The voice from behind her said mockingly. He was crouched down behind her. "But I'm afraid I'll need to use it first."

It wasn't a knife… it was much, much longer. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't think. If she even moved, it could draw blood.

She looked up at Lucy whose mouth had formed a grimace. Their eyes met, but to her surprise, Lucy didn't look as terrified as she was at that moment. Then, Lucy winked, the arm that wasn't holding Wendy up sliding behind her back.

Levy forced her panic away. Lucy had a plan… she just had to figure it out fast.

She saw a pointed black tip peak out from behind Lucy's skirt and she felt the figurative light bulb in her head turn on.

"Now!" Lucy shouted and with a flick of her wrist, a black whip wrapped tightly around the end of the fucking _katana_ , Levy realized, looping around several times over and pulling the sword forward until it clattered onto the floor. On instinct, Levy immediately thrust her head backwards, essentially head-butting into the man's chest and slid down, rolling to the side and scrambling away while the man was distracted.

Gray was still fighting the girl on the other side of the room, but they seemed to be reaching some sort of a stalemate, neither of them being able to land a clear hit.

Lucy had to quickly prop Wendy back up on the chair as she rushed to kick the katana out of reach.

"You bitch." The man hissed. He had strange black and white hair, with a tattoo dividing his face clearly in half. He looked like he was drawing something out from his back pocket.

Levy sprang back up hurriedly and clumsily pulled her keychain off her backpack strap, pressing down and pepper spraying the man in the eyes before he had the chance to block it.

The man roared and began blindly swinging at her. She barely managed to dodge his first punch, ducking under his arm in a Hail Mary attempt to save her face.

"Oh no you don't." She heard Lucy say and she watched as the blonde stepped forward, winding her whip around the man's arm and pulling him forward with surprising force. With her other hand, she retrieved the gun from her back pocket again and kicked it over to Levy. "Levy, get Wendy!"

Levy shakily grabbed the gun and stuck it in her own pocket, praying to the heavens that it wouldn't spontaneously go off. She sprinted forward and tried to pick the smaller girl up. She cursed as her muscles protested. Why did she have to be so _short?!_

"Blow the whistle, Levy!" Lucy shouted at her. The man managed to deck her in the side and Lucy gasped out in pain.

"W-what? What if there are more enemies out there?" Levy nearly shrieked, panicking just from watching Lucy try to fight off the man whose frame nearly doubled her own. And what the hell would a whistle do right now?

"I don't want to hurt you, okay?" She heard Gray yell out at Juvia from behind her.

"Levy, just blow the whistle!" Lucy ordered again, lunging to the side as the blinded man swung another hard fist at her. He managed to grab Lucy's blond ponytail and she yelped in surprise.

Levy grunted as she tried to pick up the girl again, eyes beginning to water as she failed. She squeezed her eyes shut before standing back up fully. She grasped her silver whistle tightly in her hand, bringing it up to her lips. With a deep breath, she blew into it as hard as she could.

There was no sound.

She felt a few stray tears stream down her face in frustration. She took another deep breath and tried again.

Nothing.

Suddenly, she saw movement in front of her and she gasped in shock when she saw Wendy's eyes blink open, disoriented.

"Wendy!" She cried out.

"Levy-san?" The confused voice was like music to her ears. "Wh-what's happening?"

Then, she heard the door slam open. Levy turned her head so fast she nearly got whiplash, hands slipping into her pocket to whip out the gun Lucy had just passed her. Shaky, inexperienced hands pointed it at the opening.

She didn't even know how to shoot the damn thing, or if she would even have the guts to if she needed to.

Wendy was beginning to panic behind her, having just taken in the scene.

A large figure entered the room. Crimson eyes met her own and a wave of relief washed over her.

The reinforcements had arrived.

End Chapter Two

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading chapter two! Please leave a review with any comments or criticism. I was so excited to post this chapter that I only checked over it a few times... so if there are any grammar errors or inconsistencies, please let me know! The action kicked in a bit fast, but it didn't feel right to delay it when this is supposed to be a gang story, haha. And now we add four more of our favorite Fairies to the cast: Jet, Droy, Wendy, and Juvia! :)


	4. 03 - Annex

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

 **Gangster Squad**

03

Chapter Three – Annex

"Gajeel." Her voice seemed softer and further away, but Levy knew it was more likely the chaos around her that was drowning her out.

As soon as Levy recognized the man entering the room as Gajeel, she was barely able to restrain herself from rushing over to give the man she barely knew a hug. Instead, she lowered the gun, but kept her hands in ready position.

"Juvia…" She heard him whisper under his breath.

Right on the heels of Gajeel was Natsu, eyes alight with a rage so strong that Levy could hardly believe it was the same man who had nonchalantly woke up beside her only weeks ago.

"Let go of Lucy, Totomaru, you bastard!" Natsu growled as he rushed forward to apprehend the man who had a hold on Lucy's long, blonde ponytail.

"Natsu!"

"Salamander?" The man named Totomaru hissed, bloodshot eyes opening just enough see. He promptly let go of Lucy when a hard elbow met the area between his shoulder blades.

"I beat you once, scum, and I can beat you again."

Lucy took the opportunity to lash her whip around one of Totomaru's legs, pulling it back behind him before sweeping her leg around in a kick and bringing him to his knees.

The man sprung back up immediately and lunged towards his katana in the corner, but was quickly stopped by Natsu's fists.

Levy was so engrossed in the now double-teamed fight that she hardly noticed Gajeel had approached her and Wendy.

He was holding an iron pipe, Levy realized, as he crouched down in front of Wendy. He put his large hand on top of Wendy's head and the now-crying girl looked up at him.

"You alright, pipsqueak?"

Wendy nodded, twisting her head to the side to hide her face as her lips quivered.

He was careful to check back at the door again before pulling a sharpened dagger out of his boot, cutting the bindings around Wendy's wrists within seconds.

Wendy's hands immediately went up to wipe away her tears. "I-I'm sorry! It's all my fault."

"Tch, if this was your fault, then it's my fault Salamander's hair always looks like a bird's nest." Gajeel scoffed, a hint of a smile peaking out when Wendy giggled lightly at his response. His face became serious. "This is not your fault at all, got that? Me and bunny girl just left some unfinished business and these bastards took it out on an innocent instead, alright?"

Wendy sniffled. "It's not your fault or Lucy-nee's fault either."

"Thanks pipsqueak. I wish I could believe ya." His eyes shifted over to Levy, who was very determinedly keeping watch over the door. He stood back up and made his way to her front, grimacing as he took in her bruised skin and the remnants of tears tracking down her face. "As for you… didn't I tell you to keep outta trouble? What the hell are you doing here?"

Levy just shook her head, some of her blue locks sticking to her face as she did so. She still had both hands on the gun but her fatigued arms were now pointing it at the floor in front of her.

"Hey, shrimp." He grunted before asking warily. "You okay?"

Her mouth opened and closed before her voice came out, barely above whisper. "Thanks for coming." She cringed slightly when she realized how mentally and emotionally exhausted she sounded.

Gajeel studied her carefully with a hint of admiration at her bravery, despite being a regular civilian. Even though her arms were shaking, she was standing tall with her eyes focused. "You don't need to thank me, shrimp." He muttered as their eyes met again. The pure relief in her eyes when she looked at him fueled his adrenaline. He gave her a smirk as he nodded at the gun. "Do you even know how to use that thing?"

Levy let out a half-laugh, half-hiccup as she shook her head again, fingers tightening and smoothing over the hard steel in her hands. "Not one bit." She admitted as she spared a glance over at Lucy, who was leaning against the wall panting as Natsu held Totomaru in an arm lock on the floor.

"If all goes well, you won't need to." He said. He gave one last glance back towards the third blue haired woman before turning back to Wendy. "You alright to run, Wen? Let's get you out of here."

At Wendy's affirmative nod, Gajeel began to lead her and Levy out of the room. Just as they were about to make it out the door, a gasp stopped him.

"G-Gajeel-kun?"

Levy turned her head back to watch as the girl who had been fighting Gray paused briefly mid-punch, allowing Gray to catch her hand and lock her arms forcibly behind her back. She was staring at him with wide eyes, seemingly in disbelief with a hint of fear.

It was the first ounce of emotion Levy had seen on the girl.

It was also incredibly unnerving and Levy immediately sensed that something was extremely wrong.

"Gajeel-kun… is that… you?"

"Juvia." Gajeel faced her fully and she gasped again.

"Master Jose… told Juvia that Gajeel-kun was dead."

"He lied, Juvia. I left."

"There's no way… when Juvia came home… he showed Juvia the place... where the fairies shot you and killed you." Her voice had dropped into an icy whisper towards the end and Levy felt herself shiver at the coldness. Juvia's shoulders had begun to shake and Gray grimaced as he struggled to keep his grip on her.

Gajeel took a few steps closer to her, dropping the pipe in his hands and putting them up in an effort to calm the girl.

"Everything that comes out of that bastard's mouth is a lie, Juvia."

"No… Juvia saw Gajeel-kun's body. So much blood Juvia could barely make out your mark…"

"That wasn't me, Juvia." He was only a few feet away now.

"Master Jose wouldn't lie to Juvia."

Levy hardened her expression and stood protectively in front of Wendy. She didn't quite know what was happening, but she couldn't shake the feeling that this was but the calm before the storm.

"He's just using you, Juv."

"Don't call me that! Master Jose has been nothing but nice to Juvia."

"Juv, he's manipulating you."

"Juvia will make you pay for impersonating her friend." With a glare, she swiftly twisted her leg around Gray's and pushed back onto him with surprising strength, forcing him to release her with a grunt as they both toppled onto the floor. Juvia quickly rolled off of him into a crouch, kneeing Gray hard in the stomach before whipping out a pistol from her boot and pointing it pointblank at Gajeel as she stood back up.

"Gajeel-kun was Juvia's only friend. How dare you dishonor Juvia's friend?"

Behind her, a heaving Gray stumbled back onto his feet before taking his own gun out and pointing it at the girl's back. One shot—just one pull of the trigger—and a bullet would shoot straight through her heart.

"Levy-san…" Levy could feel Wendy's small hands gripping the back of her shirt. She tried to strengthen her resolve as the healer began tearing up again. "I'm scared…"

"It's okay, Wendy." She whispered behind her, barely believing her own words. "Gajeel knows what he's doing." She really hoped he did.

Gray was mouthing something at Gajeel, but the taller man was shaking his head.

"Juvia, listen to me. Remember when you first joined Phantom? You always wanted to go outside and play by the water but Jose wouldn't let you leave your room."

"How... do you know that?" Juvia glared at him, unlocking the safety and moving her finger to the trigger.

"What the _fuck_ are you doing, Redfox?" Gray hissed at him. He pushed the muzzle of the gun into her back in warning but Juvia didn't even flinch.

"Taking a page out of Salamander's book, Fullbuster, what the fuck does it look like I'm doing?" He hissed back.

Juvia didn't seem to hear them as her hand that was steady before began quivering on the trigger.

"You… always had that little ghost dolly thing with ya. You had hundreds of them and you named them after famous lakes and shit."

Levy flinched and Gray looked like he wanted to bang his head against the wall.

"Stop it." Juvia said with a tone of desperation. "I'm not afraid to kill you."

"You always wanted to go and play in the rain, but he never let you."

"Stop!" She shrieked. "Gajeel-kun's dead! Juvia saw him!"

Gajeel's face was inches away from the pistol. Gray's hand was on the trigger, too. Wendy's face was buried into her back, and she could feel the warm tears through her shirt.

Levy was scared. His words were only fueling Juvia's distress. The girl was very apparently not in a stable emotional state at the moment, and by the look on Gajeel's face, she could tell that he realized this as well.

"Juv—"

 _Bang! Bang! Bang!_

Wendy screamed as the gun went off and Levy turned around, holding her tightly and facing both of them away from the battle.

Her eyes squeezed shut at the sound and it felt like someone was reaching into her chest and squeezing her heart as hard as they could.

There was a light clinking sound as a bullet shell rolled and hit the tip of her shoe.

When she found the strength to open her eyes again, she first looked towards Lucy.

Totomaru was now unconscious on the floor. Her blonde friend was holding Natsu back calmly with a hand over his chest as the rose-haired man seethed, itching to make his way over and help his comrades.

Seeing Lucy's composed face gave Levy the courage to look over at Gajeel.

To her surprise and immense relief, he was still standing right in front of Juvia. The Phantom member now had tears pooling in her eyes, though she did not cry. Her pistol was shaking in her now-trembling hands, pointing in an indistinct direction past Gajeel's head. Gray was slowly withdrawing his gun from where it was pointed at her back.

"Heh. Looks like you're getting rusty… you'd never miss a point-blank shot before."

 _Shut up!_ Levy wanted to shout. _Can't you see she's pointing a gun at your head_?

"G-Gajeel-kun…" Her finger was bending over the trigger again.

The pistol abruptly dropped out of Juvia's hands and clattered onto the floor as Gray twirled his gun in his hand, flicked on the safety, and rammed the grip of the revolver into the junction of her shoulder. She yelped before crumpling to the ground, her head nearly hitting the concrete floor had it not been for Gray's hand breaking her fall.

He laid her down gently before stepping over her and slipping Juvia's pistol into his pocket after putting on the safety.

"Sorry, Redfox. Your little impersonation of Natsu was great and all, but I wasn't ready to see you die in front of me." Gray drawled, but Levy could hear the concern hidden in his tone.

Gajeel rolled his eyes with a scoff. "She wouldn't have shot me."

Levy blinked at him in disbelief as she rubbed Wendy's back soothingly. "Are you _insane_? She shot at you _three times_!" Levy yelled at him.

"She shot _behind_ me three times. Get your facts straight, shrimp." He said with a hint of a grin.

"You could have been killed!"

"Thanks for your concern, shrimp—"

"—but you don't need it, right?" She held his stare defiantly as he approached her and Wendy.

It only took him four steps to reach them with his long legs.

Gajeel raised a hand up, slowly moving it towards her head. She leaned back instinctively and his hand dropped back to his side as Wendy withdrew from her. Just what was he trying to do?

"Yeah…" He looked back as Natsu and Lucy approached them with Gray lagging behind, at a loss with what to do with the unconscious girl on the floor.

"Let's hurry and get out of here." Lucy pressed. "We probably only have a couple of minutes until their reinforcements get here."

"Why are we running? We can take them." Natsu growled, punching his fist into his palm. "Let's end this right here, right now."

"As much as I prefer ending this now, Lucy's right, ash breath. There are only six of us here, and two of us don't know how to fight. If we stay, we're just asking for murder."

Levy struggled not to shudder at how casually Gray said the word.

Natsu's mouth formed a thin line and moved onto his next target. "Gajeel?"

Gajeel let out a heavy sigh. "We'll deal with them eventually… but not while the pipsqueak and the shrimp are here."

Levy frowned as Lucy began ushering them out of the room. While she wasn't able to contribute that much to the fight, she felt like she did pretty well for someone with no fighting background.

This time, Natsu took the lead with Wendy, her, and Lucy following after him. Gray and Gajeel lingered behind slightly, and Levy could still hear their voices talking in a hush.

"Do we just leave them here?"

"They'll be fine…"

"Even your friend?"

"She's a tough one." A pause. "Jose… that son of a bitch."

"Oh!" Levy stopped suddenly.

Lucy glanced back at her questioningly and Levy shook her head, turning on her heel.

"I left my mace. I'll be quick."

She sprinted past the two boys back to the room as quickly as she could and grabbed the keychain off the floor below the wooden chair, trying her hardest not to look at the two unconscious Phantom members.

As she left the room hopefully for the last time, a sudden chill crept over her as an eerily familiar voice ghosted from down the hall. Her entire body froze in place.

"Fairy Tail… this isn't the end."

Her heart was hammering in her chest.

"We will get the heiress and the traitor. Let your friends know, little fairy. Phantom Lord will not fall."

She wanted to run. Oh, did she want to run… but her legs weren't listening to her.

A calloused hand grabbed her wrist, tugging her forward. "What the hell are you doing, shrimp? Trying to get yourself killed?"

"Not any more than you were." She retorted with little bark, still shaken while trying her best to keep up with Gajeel as he ran them back towards the exit.

She never wanted to see these halls again.

Gajeel had been a Phantom member—that much was clear. He obviously joined at a fairly young age if he could remember the days when Juvia wanted to play in the park. Levy's heart hurt for them. Just children—undoubtedly even younger than Wendy—and already they had been wrapped in such a dark world.

They left the same way they entered. Lucy and Natsu had stacked crates by the window so they could climb back out and the group of four waited outside for them to catch up before they made their escape.

Once they were outside, Lucy began leading the pack.

Levy looked back at the abandoned bus station as they ran further and further away. How many times had she walked past that building even giving it a second glance? But now she knew the secret… and she didn't think she would ever be able to walk past it again without that underlying feeling of fear.

Surely, Jose Porla's voice would be one that would haunt her for days to come.

The streets were empty now and the moon was high in the sky as they dashed through the same alleys and back roads they took to get there.

The whole time, Levy kept a firm grim on her mace and careful eye on Wendy who had yet to say a word.

* * *

A little over a year ago, Levy and Droy went to Magnolia's local track field to watch Jet compete in the all-city finals for the 100 meter sprint and four-part relay. Jet ended up smoking his competition by a praise-worthy amount, leaving each of his fellow competitors a dust cloud in his wake. Upon receiving his medal on the podium later that afternoon, a student reporter from their school asked him the very broad question of how he did it.

Levy remembered exactly what he said.

" _Uh, I don't know. I kind of just stopped thinking… and did it. Is that a good enough answer?_ "

At that time, Levy's forehead shined a pretty shade of pink from all the face palming she had to do.

But now… _now_ , she understood exactly what Jet meant.

They were about two blocks away from Levy's apartment. She recognized the patisserie and Italian restaurant that she visited often when her lazy side got the best of her and she didn't feel like cooking.

Levy wondered then, if she left them now, if she would ever see the Fairy Tail gang members again. Lucy had found her today purely by coincidence, but two weeks had gone by without her seeing head or tail of any of them.

She didn't know if she wanted that.

Experiencing Phantom had been terrifying, dangerous, and heartbreaking… but a part of her was still intrigued. That same fear had also allowed adrenaline to course through her veins. Her heart hurt for Juvia, but she also wanted to _help_ her somehow.

She remembered what Lucy had said— _we save people from the darkness_.

Levy wondered if perhaps they had saved Gajeel from the darkness.

When she looked around her at the Fairy Tail members surrounding her, she felt safe and protected.

It was still strange to her—that these people that were regarded as criminals were unveiled to be the good guys. It reminded her of Severus Snape from the Harry Potter franchise she had read, except they were all far nicer to children.

Now, she really understood what Lucy meant when she said you learn to trust people after running into a few life or death situations with them.

So when the group stopped around the corner from her apartment, ready to bid her a good night and disappear back into the alleys, she wasn't surprised by the words that came out of her mouth.

"Can I… go with you all?

"L-Levy?" Lucy was taken aback, and she stepped forward, putting a gloved hand on Levy's shoulder. "Is everything okay?"

Levy hesitated, ruffling a hand through her disheveled hair. "I… just don't want to be alone tonight."

"Shrimp lives alone?" She faintly heard Gajeel repeat in a displeased tone.

Lucy's eyes showed understanding as she nodded. A gentle smile crossed her face and the same voice she had used that very first night reappeared. "You're always welcome with us, Levy."

Levy smiled back at her and whispered thanks.

"Do you want to grab anything while you're here?"

She shook her head. "It's fine. Let's just get out of the streets…"

They arrived at the bar a while later, greeting Elfman at the door as they descended down to the basement. The silver-haired giant had recognized Levy, giving her a small nod when she passed by.

It was just as loud and busy as the last time she was here, but this time there was a clear lack of nervous bubbling in her stomach and little-to-no strange looks in her direction.

Gray yawned, stretching his arms above him. "Well, I'm heading off to bed—"

"Gray!" A brunette wearing nothing but a bikini top and a pair of capris hollered from one of the benches. She got up and walked over, grabbing the man by the collar and pulling him back to the tables. "I challenge you to a drink off!"

"Cana—"

Natsu snorted. "I could out-drink ice princess any day of the week."

"Oh yeah? Then you're on, you pile of ash!"

And just like that, it was as if the entire Phantom fiasco hadn't happened.

Lucy rolled her eyes as Natsu left them to join Gray and Cana. "Idiots."

"Luce, come join—"

"Not today, Natsu. Sorry Levy, I don't think we have any spare beds still, but I can just share with Wendy for the night—"

"Shrimp can take my bed." Gajeel cut in and the three remaining girls looked at him with surprise. He looked disgruntled, as if his mind was somewhere else completely.

Levy met his eyes for a fraction of a second before he looked away.

"I don't think I'll be sleeping tonight anyway." Gajeel snorted, dragging a hand through his hair.

He and Lucy shared a look of understanding before she nodded, throwing her arms around the two blunettes.

"I'll drop her off at your room in a little bit then. Thanks, Gajeel."

"No need. 'Night bunny girl, pipsqueak."

"You can borrow a pair of my pajamas again." Lucy offered when they reached Lucy's room.

The blonde unclasped her belt and hung it along with her whip around her bedpost before digging through her dresser for clothes. "Did you want to shower, too?"

Levy pulled a handful of her hair to her nose and sniffed it discretely, grimacing when she realized the dusty and grimy scent from the bus station had followed her out. "Please."

Lucy laughed and tossed her a bundle of clothes wrapped in a large towel. "Do you remember where the bathroom is?"

She nodded and let out a deep breath. "Thanks, Lucy."

Lucy grinned at her in a way that Levy was sure she got from Natsu. "Hey, we're friends, aren't we?"

"Yeah." Levy returned the grin. She looked over to Wendy, who still looked downcast.

Seeing her look, Lucy waved her off, mouthing that she would talk to Wendy while Levy showered.

After reassuring Lucy that she remembered the way to the bathroom, she walked there with steps that were much lighter than the last time she was here. Gone was that tickling paranoia that had her tossing and turning in bed late into the night.

Instead, she felt a sense of comfort.

She felt like she belonged.

* * *

Roughly half an hour later, Levy stood in front of Gajeel's door, fist raised up and ready to knock. Her hair was hanging in damp, loose waves and she knew it would take roughly an hour before it dried and regained its volume. She was dressed comfortably in one of Lucy's pajama sets again and the hand that wasn't up was holding onto her small backpack.

She had barely knocked once before the door swung open.

Gajeel's hair was pulled back into a low ponytail and he had changed into a tank top and a pair of loose fitting pants. He grunted at her in greeting and opened the door wider to let her in.

Levy noticed immediately how different the room was from Lucy's. There were no pictures, no decorations, no colors—just a simple room with a bare desk and a bed with plain black sheets.

"Thanks for letting me stay here for the night." She placed her backpack on the floor beside the bed and turned to face Gajeel who was silently staring at the wall, deep in thought. She hesitated before asking, "Is everything alright?"

He made no indication that he heard her and she sidled back slightly at his lack of response.

Being back in Phantom territory and encountering an old friend must have taken a toll on him. She wanted to ask about it so badly… but it wasn't her business. Nope. It did not concern her. It was obviously a sensitive topic for him. He was nearly shot at _three times_ for crying out loud! She should just leave it alone, and let him deal with it on his own—

"Why did you leave Phantom?" She blurted out, inwardly berating herself for her lack of self-control as onyx eyes flashed towards her.

"Couldn't hold yourself back, eh, shrimp?" He deadpanned with a hint of mirth in his voice.

"Sorry. You don't have to answer." She tried to say as sincerely as possible as she broke the eye contact and busied herself with counting the cracks on the aged wall.

There were a few moments of silence and Levy began inching her way onto the mattress. When she tentatively took a seat on the bed, he spoke.

"Basically, Salamander kicked my ass."

A small giggle escaped her before she could stop herself and her hands shot up to muffle it as Gajeel's face fell into a grimace along with his pride.

"Look, do ya want to hear the story or not?"

"Sorry." She tried to hold back her smile as she mimed pulling a zipper across her mouth. Her smile quickly faded as his expression became more detached and contrite. He walked over to sit on the chair beside the desk.

"Six months ago," He began and Levy nodded encouragingly. "Six months ago, when I was still part of that shit of a gang, Jose pulled me aside one night, said he had a special mission for me. I didn't care what it was at the time—special missions meant more money. So I accepted it and can you guess what that special mission was?"

"I assume it has something to do with Lucy?"

"Kidnapping the Heartfilia heiress," He nodded, "to use as our bargaining chip for her pops—owner of Heartfilia Konzern, one of the biggest organizations in Fiore. Basically, they're rich as shit."

She had to live under a rock to not have heard of Heartfilia Konzern. The company owned the entire railway system and held shares in a lot of other big companies in Fiore.

"Word on the street was that the heiress had run away and that her pops would pay a pretty penny for someone to bring her back. With a little bit of recon they found out what school she went to and that she may be associated with a gang." Fairy Tail.

"I didn't have anything to lose back then, so I did it." His voice was filled with self-directed anger. "Me and a few other Phantom members caught her walking home alone from school one day and kidnapped her blind. Bunny girl sure put up one hell of a fight though." The corner of his lips turned upwards for a fraction of a second. "We kept her kicking and screaming in one of those rooms—like that one we were in earlier."

Levy took in the information, feeling unsettled. Assigning a teenager to kidnap another teen and hold her as ransom to cash in money? Crime fiction was now her reality.

"I was in charge of guarding bunny girl, and Jose told me to rough her up a bit and take a picture to send to her dad. He already had a set reward, but Jose said if he thought his daughter was in danger, that number could easily double." His eyes were trained on the floor now as he clenched his fists tightly. "I did a lot of shit I ain't proud of. I never deserved her forgiveness."

Levy's eyes widened slightly as she wondered just what exactly Gajeel did… but she was in no place to push for more answers. He was already telling her more than she ever thought he would. If Lucy had already forgiven him, it couldn't be that bad, right?

"It was just a waiting game from there. But not even two fucking days later I wake up to the sound of gunshots." He recalls. "Fairy Tail broke into our hideout and they were out for blood."

Levy felt her curiosity pique at the mention of Fairy Tail retaliating violently. She supposed that 'good' gang or not, once one of their own members were in danger, they would do anything to get them back safely.

"Next thing I know, Salamander is there, fucking _pissed_ and ready to beat the shit out of me. I knew he was already gone, but I still tried to fuck with him by roughing up bunny girl more." He ran a distressed hand through his hair, checking to make sure it was still in its tail. "I was fucking twisted, and I knew it, but I didn't care."

Her heart ached for the man in front of her, so full of regret and self-loathing. She fought the urge to comfort him. They weren't that close yet. He wasn't like Wendy, who was trusting and sweet. He was rough and jaded and had seen far too much in his years.

"Then Salamander starts preaching at me. Says some bullshit about family and friendship and humanity all that, and it actually gets to me. So you know what I do?"

Levy shakes her head even though she knows he's not expecting an answer.

"I point my gun at bunny girl and shoot her anyway, but I fucking miss. I never miss. Dragneel goes berserk and beats me to a pulp. He could've killed me, God knows I deserved it, but he didn't. He just runs off with bunny girl and leaves me with more of that gospel bullshit."

The small resistance there was broke and she stood then, tentatively reaching over to put a hand on his shoulder. It was strong and muscled and made her hand feel even smaller.

She fought to control her face at the thought that he was capable of shooting Lucy, miss or not. She had to remind herself that they came from different walks of life.

Gajeel eyed her hand with an uncomfortable expression but did not remove it.

"It ate at me for the next three days before I decided that I didn't owe Jose shit and it was time that I lived for myself and not for a motherfucker like him. I got the hell out of there and barely took anything with me. Didn't even think to let anybody else know. I spent ten goddamn years of my life following his orders."

"And then you joined Fairy Tail." Levy finished, lightly rubbing his shoulder as he stared at her intensely with a strange expression. "Thank you. For sharing that with me."

"I don't know how you do it." He grunted. His stare was starting to make her blush.

"Do what?"

"Get me to tell you shit without even trying."

She grinned triumphantly and withdrew her hand. His eyes followed it back to her side. "It's a gift."

"Some gift." He scoffed.

"I enjoy heart-to-hearts." Levy shrugged, smiling when he sputtered a bit at having just completed a 'heart-to-heart.'

There was just one more thing that was bothering her.

"Gajeel," After he grunted in response, she continued. "What about Juvia?"

Her cries of distress and betrayal were still echoing in her head.

"Juvia… she was one of his favorites. He picked her up from the streets when she was eight years old. Always kept her sheltered because he knew that she was a fucking genius and if he let her see what the real world was like, she would run and never look back." He slammed his fist on the desk suddenly, causing the whole structure to rattle and Levy to jump in surprise. "I should've fucking waited and took her with me. I was selfish and now he's fucked with her head."

"It's not your fault—"

" _Yes_ , it fucking is." He hissed. "If I waited just one more day… but I didn't. And then I never went back for her either."

"You know they would've killed you if they caught you going back for her." She responded softly, realizing how true those words were as she spoke them.

"It's a small price to pay."

"Please don't say that." Levy frowned at him. She reached over again to pat his hand, but he stood up suddenly, the chair screeching against the floor.

"Well, shrimp," He stood up tall, his figure towering over hers. "Hope I answered your question."

She took in his exhausted expression and decided to let it slide for now.

"Are you going to join them outside?" Levy asked, half-wondering if Gray and Natsu were still having a drink-off in the bar area. It still baffled her how they were able to bounce back from the kidnapping so quickly. It was as if this stuff normal to them—which was entirely possible.

He shook his head and opened up the drawer beside his desk, pulling out a revolver. "Training."

Was there a _shooting range_ in this basement? She wondered just how much of underground Magnolia was actually part of Fairy Tail's headquarters as she hoisted herself back onto his bed and slipped her legs under the covers.

Her incredulity must have shown on her face because he smirked at her and reached over to pull on a curly lock of hair. It sprung back up. Her hair was almost dry now, meaning there was a 70% chance it looked like a lion's mane.

"If you're still around tomorrow, ask bunny girl to give you a real tour."

She nodded. She didn't see herself leaving any time soon.

He grabbed a towel from his dresser and began to exit the room. "Try not to drool on my sheets, alright shrimp?"

"No promises." She responded cheekily as she finally lay down. It felt like heaven… but even a pile of rocks would feel like heaven after the night they just had. "Good night, Gajeel."

He lingered by the doorway for a few moments before grunting out a 'night' over his shoulder and shutting the door behind him.

The moment the door clicked shut, she snuggled deeper into the blankets. There was a faint scent of flint and steel, overridden by a musky smell that was oddly comforting.

As she did every night, she recounted the day's events in her head. From her afternoon jog, to her relaxing day reading along the canal, dinner at Jet and Droy's restaurant, and finally the crazy downward spiral that started with bumping into Phantom Lord's leader on the streets.

Levy couldn't help but feel like she was forgetting something.

She struggled to stay awake as she ran through the events again. Just what was she missing?

The heavy wave of sleep was hitting her quite persistently, and she finally stopped resisting. Whatever it was would just have to wait until tomorrow.

And with that, Levy fell asleep to the image of a young Gajeel and Juvia, laughing and playing in the park.

* * *

A/N: Ahhh! 11 reviews! I was so pleasantly surprised. Hopefully making Levy sleep in Gajeel's bed makes up for how late this chapter is :). Special shout out to AkemiYukimura for reviewing weeks after the last chapter was posted and bringing back my inspiration to finish this one. Super giant Elfman-sized thanks to all the reviewers, new and returning! As always, please leave a review with any comments or criticisms and let me know if there are any grammar errors or inconsistencies. I was so tired of reading this chapter that I may have missed a few lol.


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